I appreciate all the effort put into this blog....the page is beautiful....well thought out and ambitous but something I have learned in my 48 years...when something works, it just does and when it doesn't, cut your loses and move on to bigger and better!

I am on Facebook (FB) and do plenty of status messages, pictures and even the occasional note all surrounding my year abroad to teach English.
Join me there...my email addy is theladymessenger@yahoo.com add me and enjoy the ride on my adventures in Turkey.

I will not post here again. Blessings to you all especially my faithful followers!
TTFG (ta ta for good),

Donna Tucker


Hello folks! I know...where have I been? Busy! Swamped! I am so full of stories and pictures that it is daunting to have to figure out which ones to post and what to write about..like the one to the left! Beautiful isn't it? That is a picture taken in Kadikoy which is on the Asian side of Istanbul and we are looking at the European side. This was the daily view from the Teacher's Lounge at work! Imagine seeing this daily...and that was just during Summer Camp! There are more pictures to come and much to tell you, my faithful followers! I apologize for being slow to post...I guess I am so busy just experiencing it all! I will return very shortly with more pictures and tales. I am on summer break until the end of July! I was just told yesterday that I got offered another teaching gig (Summer Camp) on the Black Sea! Get ready for some great pictures and greater tales.
TTFN,
Donna

Every now and then charge the battery for your camera...especially when you are going to a new town that is full of stores, people and alleys with lots more of both! Grrrrrrr
Sidebar: Taksim was fun, and I am going back there for pictures and lots of good food...oh and the occasional black person. Yep, I found blacks, Asians, Germans and Swedish! Jackpot! LOL!
I start work on Monday morning...Asian side...I have a few pictures to upload but the battery went kaputt!!!

TTFN,
Donna







Here is my apartment building, a garden and my new neighborhood.
So...what do you think?
TTFN,
Donna


Ha! I tell you folks. I have so much to learn. I have a gazillion (my word) pictures and have yet to learn how to download the little suckers!


I am so in love with my new page (UTSA Career Services rocks)!


I have 4 followers...where is everyone else? Grrrrrrrrr.


News flashes and pictures are soon to come! I added these flowers because although it is mostly roses...there are gorgeous flowers throughout my neighborhood/block. They took time to really work on their gardens. Quite lovely.
In retrospect...any cat or dog that is being abused...come to Bakırköy (my town I live in) because I tell you they are fed by everyone and anything! I thought my neighborhood in Sunrise had lots of cats...OMGosh there are so many stray dogs and cats...no they are not eating them they are feeding these animals any scraps and/or bones they have! Amazing. Also, plenty of bread scraps for the big birds and yes, sea gulls in the neighborhood! I tell ya, this is pet land! LOL!
Thanks to those four and come on to the others! I report to the first summer camp Monday morning on the Asian side. Told you I would be there!


Houston to Chıcago? Lovely. How was my flıght out of Chı town? Long, long, long, longer! LOL! Hot, hot, humıd and dıd I mentıon hot? We had lots of babıes on board so ıt felt lıke the nursery from Hell! OMGosh ıt was so warm that my blood pressure skyrocketed and so dıd my frustratıon level. I know, be nıce ıt ıs babıes but all I could thınk was, hey I paıd for thıs flıght too! Why do I have to be hot?

By the tıme I landed all I wanted was a hot shower, a hot meal and a bed, whıch ıs what my flatmate, Helena knew and help me do! Awesome woman...she's well traveled and quıte sophısıcated but lovely to get to know and quıte funny!

Well ıt ıs tıme to go get ready. Helena and I are goıng to the Baazar when she gets home from work.

TTFN! (TA TA FOR NOW)

Donna

BTW....I am on the European sıde. The company felt the Asıan sıde was too far and too dıffıcult for me to deal with and me just gettıng here. I wıll get over there, tho!


I just got word on Friday that I would not be on the European side of Istanbul but the Asian side in a lovely town called Ataşehir! Since I am arriving early to teach Summer camps, most of the contracted teachers are still occupying the European apartments and therefore they must put me up in Istanbul -Asia. I have never been to Asia before and I am so excited! I haven't told many people, especially my family. I will try to get to that before I leave but if not, I can always tell them later, eh?


Here I sit in Shirley Rowe's office located in Career Services on the 1604 Campus - UTSA! Together we have started the creation of this year blog surrounding my teaching and living experiences in Istanbul. We are both excited at the potential and the eventual growth through my story telling and photography in Turkey and throughout my travels. Whew! That was a mouthful!

I would try to promise not to wax poetic and smart on this blog but I would be lying. LOL! I do promise it will never be boring and hopefully this blog will in some way help others.

The next post will be on departure day: June 9, 2009! Look for tidbits on the long flights and arriving in Istanbul, Turkey!

I'm excited and hope others are too! TTFN!



Donna